Efforts to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture are underway, with an initiative being implemented through a collaboration between the Philippines and China.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) recently welcomed the project team of the DOST–Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Joint Research Project (JRP), “Climate Risk Assessment and Precision Agriculture Strategies for Philippine Rice-Based Systems Using Multi-Model Short-Term Climate Prediction.”
The visit reinforces ongoing efforts to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture through a science and technology collaboration between the Philippines and China. The project, which commenced in 2024, is led by the Institute of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (IABE) of the College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños (CEAT-UPLB), in collaboration with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP-CAS), and Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU).
In his welcome remarks, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora highlighted the importance of the project in strengthening research partnerships, building robust climate data systems, and advancing analytical tools for climate change adaptation in agriculture.
Representing IAS-CAS, Professor Dr. Tianyi Zhang reaffirmed their commitment to advancing joint work on climate risk assessment and precision agriculture, particularly in support of smallholder rice farmers.
Strengthening collaboration and technical synergies
Discussions highlighted ongoing and planned engagements with the Project SARAI (Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines) team and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). These collaborations aim at ensuring harmonized implementation of project activities, improved data integration, and strengthened delivery of climate-informed agricultural technologies.
The project team also emphasized capacity-building efforts, particularly training on the application of the climate model developed by IAS-CAS, to enhance local technical capabilities in climate forecasting and decision support systems.
Project Leader and IABE Professor, Dr. Rubenito M. Lampayan, also noted the plan to explore the double dry cropping system as a climate adaptation strategy for rice-based farming systems. This approach aims to increase productivity while enhancing resilience to climate variability.
Emphasis on actionable climate information
To support the initiative, Dr. Ebora emphasized the importance of ensuring that climate advisories are accompanied by practical and implementable solutions that can be readily adopted by farmers. He underscored the need to translate scientific outputs into clear, actionable guidance that directly supports farm-level decision-making and climate adaptation efforts.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong commitment of both Philippine and Chinese partners to advance collaborative research under the DOST–MOST JRP framework. Moving forward, the initiative is expected to further strengthen climate-resilient rice production systems through sustained scientific cooperation and innovation.